SPECIAL ISSUE NUMBER SIX / MARCH 2003
Cover montage of works by
Robert Peak
Artwork © The Estate of Robert Peak
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
My Fair Lady Poster Design
Ad for Puritan Sportswear
Apocalypse Now Poster Design
Time Cover
Ad for Dobbs Hat
Ad for 7-Up
Ad for Winston Cigarettes
Portrait of John Singer Sargent
Center: Superman Poster
DANIEL ZIMMER
EDITOR - PUBLISHER - DESIGNER
dan@theillustratedpress.com
MATTHEW ZIMMER
EDITOR
WRITERS
THOMAS PEAK
MATTHEW ZIMMER
DANIEL ZIMMER
Illustration masthead designed by
Gerard Huerta
Contents © 2003 by Illustration Magazine and the respective
authors. All artwork ©The Estate of Robert Peak, except where
noted. None of the material in this publication may be reproduced
in any form without the written permission of Illustration Maga-
zine or the copyright holders. All of the images utilized herein are
reproduced for historical and educational purposes only. While
every effort has been made to provide factually accurate informa-
tion, we cannot be responsible for misinformation that may crop
up from time to time. Please let us know and we will make every
effort to set the record straight from issue to issue.
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Dear Reader...
This special issue of Illustration is a celebration of the life and work of one of
America's most talented and influential illustrators, Robert Peak.
Peak was perhaps the last of the truly "famous" illustrators. He was an illustrator
when the career was still considered to be a glamorous profession — something
that is almost hard to imagine now. With his Ferraris (yes, plural), Rolls Royce,
long hair and sunglasses, he was every bit the dashing, larger than life figure that
we imagine him to be. Yet underneath all the trappings of his success, Peak more
than anything else just wanted to be an illustrator. He poured all of his energy into
his work, and his ability to create memorable and iconic images never faltered.
As seen by the cover of this issue, no single painting can sum up Bob Peak's
career. Much like Al Parker before him, his work over the years was startling,
original and ever-changing. His powerful vision and graphic style electrified
the commercial art world, and his art in many ways reinvented the look of
contemporary illustration. The "Peak Look" became the most admired and
imitated style of the day, and almost overnight his work was seen everywhere.
His campaigns for some of the largest advertisers in the country gave him
unprecedented exposure, and his illustrations for the film industry earned him
the title of "Father of the Modern Movie Poster." His many awards and honors
have cemented his reputation as one of the giants of the field, and his profound
influence can be seen in the work of countless illustrators working today.
I am honored to have the opportunity to present this retrospective of work,
and I must thank Thomas Peak for allowing me to share this collection and his
accompanying article with you. All of the images in this issue were drawn from
Tom's extensive archives, and he went out of his way to dig up many amazing
things for us to see. You will not be disappointed!
The concept of this issue, a monograph in magazine format, is an idea I plan to
repeat in the future with illustrators such as J.C. Leyendecker and Al Parker. I hope
you like this idea, and I look forward to your comments.
Now, on to the story!
Daniel Zimmer, Publisher
PS: One of the best ways you can directly support this magazine is by subscribing.
If you've been thinking about subscribing but haven't, please subscribe today!
Issues are sent out in sturdy boxes, so your copy will arrive in perfect condition.
Also, back issues are still available. See our ad on page 75 for ordering information.
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The Life and Art of
Robert Peak
by Thomas Peak
If you lived in America during
the latter half of the 20th Century,
read a magazine or newspaper,
or went to a see a movie, then
you are already familiar with the
work of my father, Bob Peak.
From 1953 until his passing in
1992, dad established himself as
one of the country's most prolific
illustrators, setting his pen and
brush to work creating images
for major magazines, newspapers,
movie posters, and a countless
number of consumer print ads.
As a child growing up in New
York and Connecticut with my
sister, Catherine, and two brothers,
Robert and Matthew, it seemed like
not a week went by that something
containing my father's illustration did not come into our
home. Whether it was a Time, TV Guide, or Sports Illustrated
magazine cover; a Coca-Cola, 7-Up, or TWA Airlines print
ad; or some other recognizable image from one of many
major national publications, my father's art was seen every-
where by almost everyone.
In the 40 years that my father worked as a professional
illustrator, he rose to the top of the field and received
numerous awards and accolades. Among those honors were
eight Awards of Excellence and four Gold Medals from the
Society of Illustrators, with induction into their Hall of Fame
in 1977; being named "Artist of the Year" by The Artists
Guild of New York in 1961; receiving the "Key Art Lifetime
Achievement Award" from The Hollywood Reporter for his
contributions to the film industry; plus many other awards
Robert Peak, 1964.
and honors that dad accumulated
over the course of his career —
a career that spanned nearly
four decades.
But in the beginning, before all
of the acclaim received in later
years, Bob Peak was just a seven-
year old boy who fell in love with
his first set of brushes and paints;
a boy who would grow into a man
with a tremendous talent.
THE EARLY YEARS
Bob Peak's life began at 7:25 a.m.
on May 30, 1927, born to Robert
M. Peak Sr. and Helen Marie
Peak at their home in Trinidad,
Colorado. As a baby, Bob was
so beautiful that a couple once
offered to buy him from his parents for $10,000. Naturally,
my grandparents would have no part of it. After the birth
of Bob's sister Geraldine one year later, and the subsequent
stock market crash in October 1929, the Peaks were suddenly
beset with the same financial struggles that affected millions
of Americans at that time. When Bob's father found work
difficult to come by in Trinidad, he packed up the family and
moved them to Denver in hopes of finding better prospects.
In the years that followed, Bob's mother gave birth to two
more sisters, Virginia and Rosemary, and a brother, Jack.
In Denver, the duplex the family lived in had no furnace,
so the only heat was provided by a small wood burning
stove. For added warmth the children would all huddle
together beneath a blanket. Bob, a Catholic altar boy at the
time, would gather by the side of his siblings' bed on cold
< TOP TO BOTTOM: Dobbs Hat, 1959; My Fair Lady (detail), 1964; Boys Life, 1969; Time, June 9, 1975; "Bicentennial
Movies", 1976; Modesty Blaise, 1966; Puritan Sportswear, 1967; TWA Getaway Adventures, 1973.
Illustration 5
Bob Peak's mother, Helen Marie Peak.
winter nights and
encourage them
all to say an act
of contrition.
"This way" the
boy said, "If we
die during the
night from the
cold, we will all
go to heaven."
Like many chil-
dren that possess
special talents, Bob
was a serious and
intense child who
could be quite
temperamental.
He enjoyed play-
ing with other
children but also
found ways to
occupy his mind
when left alone.
A turning point in
Bob's life occurred
at the age of seven
when his mother bought him a cardboard desk with a begin-
ner's set of paint and brushes. The Christmas gift captivated
the boy immediately, and he spent the months that followed
taking any opportunity he could to draw and paint. By the
time he turned eight, Bob was able to draw recognizable
likenesses — an early indication of what he would eventually
be capable of.
Just before Bob's ninth birthday, his
mother fell ill with pneumonia and
passed away at the age of 33. Helen
Marie, a devout Catholic, asked that
before her death she be baptized and
confirmed, requesting the same for all
of her children. Robert Sr. saw to her
wishes and made sure that all of the
children received their sacraments.
The premature death of Bob's mother
hit the family hard, and Bob Sr. — left
with little more than his wife's sewing
machine and the little clothes they had
amongst them — moved the family to
Wichita, Kansas. The hard times they
experienced in Denver came with them
to the Midwest, however, and life at their
Aunt Ann's was devoid of any luxuries.
To make matters worse for the children,
Bob Sr.'s sister was a strict disciplinar-
ian that demanded they keep busy with
regular chores. After Bob Sr. took a job
selling hair care products for Gibson
Products Company, the children seldom saw their father
during the day. It was under these circumstances that my
dad learned the value of self-reliance.
When Bob was a teenager he worked long hours as a
clerk at the local Kroger grocery store, staying until eleven
at night on school nights and working hours over the
weekend. Understandably, Bob began to fantasize about
building a better life for himself in the future, rebuffing any
suggestion from his co-workers that he remain in the grocery
business. As a form of escape outside of work and school
responsibilities, Bob would continue to draw pictures as he
did in his childhood.
As a young man, however, he shifted his focus away from
pictures of juvenile heroes to those of far away places he
wished to visit; images such as a couple walking on a beach,
a group of jazz musicians, or a restaurant in New York.
In spite of his drab surroundings and a lack of encourage-
ment from his father, Bob persisted in what was becoming a
private obsession with art, even building his own makeshift
easel in the basement of his aunt's house.
MILITARY SERVICE
Bob's high school career ended with early graduation at
the age of 15 in 1942. Though he skipped two grades, he
took all of the art courses available at Cathedral High School
in Wichita. His interest in drawing and painting peaked
during this time, though he participated in school plays and
worked every day after school.
Skeptical of his chance at success in an art career, Bob
enrolled at the University of Wichita where he majored in
geology. The choice of subject was not a good fit for dad,
who quickly lost interest in his course work. It wasn't long
before he enlisted in the Navy in May
1945 as a Seaman First Class — anxious
to see the world — and was promptly
shipped off for eight weeks of basic
training in Great Lakes, Illinois. Upon
completion of his training, Bob was
shipped out to U.S. Naval Frontier Base
in San Francisco, California.
Though Bob never saw action in the
faraway Korean War, the Navy gave him
an opportunity to showcase his artistic
talents to his peers. Portraits my dad did
of his shipmates were so popular with
his subjects that they sent them back
home to their families. It was at this
point that Bob started to believe that
he might someday have a legitimate
shot at becoming a professional illus-
trator. The Navy also gave him time to
hone his craft: though placed in charge
of the ship's stores, there was always
time leftover for dad to sit with a pad of
paper and work on his drawings.
Bob Peak in High School, Wichita, Kansas.
6 Illustration
RETURNING HOME
Dad's time in the service ended with an honorable
separation from the U.S. Navy on August 19, 1946. Filled
with renewed optimism at the prospect of making headway
in his art career, Bob returned home to find that his siblings
were living in an even more desperate situation than they
were in when he left. Using his G.I. Bill and money he had
managed to save while he was in the service, my father was
able to put a down payment on a new home located at 1029
Pershing Street in Wichita. He also treated himself to a brand
new Mercury convertible.
In 1947, dad resumed his studies at the University of
Wichita — this time, as an art major. Having amassed a
sizeable portfolio of work by this time, Bob paid a visit to
McCormick- Armstrong, a large printing firm in the Midwest
that hired him on part time in the art department. The large
staff at McCormick- Armstrong included people in the lay-
out, illustration, and lettering departments. Bob was put to
work in all three, receiving valuable encouragement from his
superiors and co-workers. The versatility and support dad
received from his time at McCormick- Armstrong gave him
the self-confidence to pursue a career in commercial illustra-
tion, giving him a firm foundation upon which to build.
ART CENTER SCHOOL
Though Bob made strides while attending the University
of Wichita, the school was primarily a teachers' college and
therefore did not have a regimented curricula for training
illustrators. Of the classes that were offered, Bob availed him-
self of courses in ceramics, lettering, industrial rendering,
perspective, and watercolor painting. All the while, dad con-
tinued to do his own illustrations. However, he knew that if
he was going to go on to the next level, he would eventually
have to go to New York to prove his worth — after all, it was
one thing to be good by Wichita standards, but it was some-
thing else to get noticed in New York.
By the time he graduated from the University of Wichita in
1950, Bob sent his portfolio to the Art
Center School in Los Angeles (now Art
Center College of Design in Pasadena,
California). He was accepted on a par-
tial scholarship in October of that year.
Fortunately, the time he had spent at
the University of Wichita was not a
complete waste — he had accumulated
enough credits that the Art Center
School allowed him to start at the half-
way point of their four-year program.
The next two years of his life were spent
in the rigorous pursuit of his craft.
Among his teachers were the famous
illustrators John LaGatta and Reynold
Brown. LaGatta taught Bob with an old
school rigor, emphasizing the impor-
tance of giving one hundred percent
effort to all projects.
Bob Peak, his sisters and brother. LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Peak,
Geraldine Gegen, Virginia Lipke, Rosemary Malone and William Peak.
In order to support himself while he attended school, Bob
had a variety of jobs — waxing floors and cooking in the caf-
eteria, landscaping the campus grounds, and waiting tables
at local restaurants. He lived with a fellow student in a small
dorm on campus, and spent what little free time he had
continuously drawing and painting. Unlike the University of
Wichita, the Art Center School channeled all of Bob's classes
toward the study of illustration exclusively, enabling him to
learn such topics as sketching for illustration, head drawing,
life drawing, and advertising illustration.
Romance would also enter my father's life during this time.
He met a young woman — a fellow student at Art Center
School — by the name of Lucille Tedesco. After a brief court-
ship, the couple married in 1952. The girl came from a fam-
ily that owned a growing ready mix concrete business located
in Southern California. Bob's father-in-
law, Santo (Sam) Tedesco, was so fond
of his new son-in-law that he offered
him a position of partial ownership
in the family business. Bob, however,
was insistent on following his chosen
career path. In the short span of time
after his graduation from Art Center
School, my dad spent three solid
months assembling a sizeable portfolio
of his work while my mother worked a
full-time job to support them. He took
the satchel with him when they left for
New York City in 1953.
Armed with little more than self-
confidence and ambition when he
arrived in New York, Bob was able to
land a job at the Alexander E. Chaite
Studios. Though he made very little
Bob Peak with his wife Lucille, 1952.
Illustration 7
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LUXURIOUS SILK "N" COTTON
Old Hickory Bourbon advertisement, 1956
McGregor Sportswear advertisement, 1957
Italian Line advertisement, 1958
money, he was working in the company of a number of other
fine illustrators. (Some past Chaite Studio alums included
Robert McGuiness, Mike Hooks, Bernie Fuchs and Frank
McCarthy.) At that time, most of the commercial illustration
being produced was done in the "Cooper Studio style" — a
photo -realistic style of painting that relied heavily on photo
reference and the balopticon projector, an approach made
famous by the competing Cooper Studio in New York.
Dad wanted to break out of this narrow mold and produce
more expressive work. He was often told, "There's no market
for your flamboyant work. You're going to have to pull in
your horns."
Bob made an effort to conform to this standard, and was
able to receive a few early assignments. Dissatisfied with his
work, however, he made the decision that he would have to be
true to himself, or he may as well give up and move back to
California. Bob proceeded to burn all of the illustrations he
had made to that point, and vowed from that moment on to
only do the kind of work that he wanted to do, spending the
next six weeks perfecting his style.
An art director and a salesman at Chaite Studios took
notice of Bob's paintings and appreciated what he was try-
ing to do with his work. The salesman took a stack of Bob's
sketches over to Martin Stevens, a friend and art director at
Old Hickory Bourbon. At that time, the company was looking
for an illustrator to create images for their new ad campaign.
Illustration
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Dobbs Hat advertisement, 1958
After that initial meeting, Bob received an assignment to
create some concept drawings for Old Hickory. The same
assignment was also given to Rene Bouche, the renowned
fashion illustrator whose work appeared in Paris Vogue
magazine in the 1930's and also counted Saks Fifth Avenue,
Jaguar, Helena Rubinstein, and Elizabeth Arden among
his clients. Bob respected the range of Bouche's work,
which also included portraits of celebrities including
Edward R. Murrow, Sophia Loren, Jack Benny, William and
Elaine DeKooning, and Igor Stravinsky.
In approaching the assignment, Bob created an unusual
picture depicting men with hook noses and big ears, holding
their hands up in front of their faces. It was a departure from
the images of beautiful people often seen in commercial
illustration at that time. As it turned out, his unconventional
style appealed to the people at Old Hickory, and he was
chosen over Bouche for the final job. Using the bourbon
campaign as a springboard, it was only a matter of months
before Bob found his illustrations on the back covers of
Look and Life magazines, and he went from making virtually
nothing a week to making over $40,000 a year. In quick
succession, Bob Peak had established himself as a name in
the commercial art world.
The impact of his work with the Old Hickory campaign
led him to other assignments from Pepsi- Cola, Chrysler,
and Dobbs Hats.
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Cosmopolitan illustration, 1957. Gouache.
Illustration 9
Dobbs Hat advertisement, 1960. Gouache.
Dobbs Hat advertisement, 1959. Gouache. Dobbs Hat advertisement, 1959. Gouache.
1 Illustration
THE 1960s
Bob's career would truly ascend in the 1960's, bringing
him assignments and acclaim across a wide spectrum. In that
decade, he would work on high profile campaigns for some
of America's largest companies, including R.J. Reynolds, Ford
Motor Company, 7-Up, Trans World Airlines, and Puritan.
He would start painting covers for Sports Illustrated and
TV Guide, eventually creating 39 separate covers for the
country's television bible throughout the '60s, '70s and '80s.
In 1961, Bob would also for the first time begin to do adver-
tising work for major motion pictures. Over the next two
decades, his movie posters for films such as Apocalypse Now
and Superman would further cement his reputation as a
legend in the field of commercial illustration.
As the assignments began to pour in, it became
increasingly difficult for Bob to manage his own business
affairs and still have enough time to do quality work. With
his career kicking into high gear, it made sense that he take
on official representation. An associate of Bob's suggested
that he meet with a friend of his by the name of Harvey
Kahn. When they met for the first time in 1960, Kahn had
already established himself as a representative of fashion
illustrators and photographers, and was quickly on his way to
becoming one of the most respected agents in New York for
illustrators. His client list eventually included such names as
Alan E. Cober, Bernie Fuchs, and Wilson McLean.
When Kahn first went to visit Bob Peak in 1960, the
family was living in the top two floors of 36 Central Park
South in New York City, just overlooking the park. The
master bedroom and Bob's studio were on the very top
floor, with the children's rooms, kitchen, den, and other
quarters occupying the floor below. When Kahn rang the
doorbell, Bob answered and immediately introduced the
guest to Lucille, saying, "This is my wife Lucille, she is
the most important person in my life." After this pleasant
introduction, Kahn would go on to represent Bob Peak for
the next 30 years of his career.
By 1962, Bob and Lucille decided that they and their
young family would be better suited away from the hectic
lifestyle of New York, and moved to the picturesque
countryside of Greenwich, Connecticut. With four young
children at this point, the couple felt that Greenwich offered
the environment and style of living ideal for them to grow
up in. Bob drove one of his exotic sportscars into New York
whenever he needed to meet with clients, since Harvey Kahn
had an established office in the city.
Bob set up his studio at the family house, separate from the
living quarters to allow for ample privacy and solitude. Once
there, he continued with his busy schedule, constantly work-
ing on ways to stay fresh and keep his work in demand. He
went to great lengths to stay in touch with the ever- changing
tastes of the public, reading whatever new book or magazine
he could get his hands on, taking in a variety of material
designed for his own young children all the way up to the
elderly. His shifting tastes and continual movement was also
Puritan Sportswear advertisement, c. 1962 '68. Gouache and collage.
Bob Peak in New York City at 36 Central Park South, c. 1960-61.
Bob Peak's children in New York, c. 1960-61. LEFT TO RIGHT: Catherine Rogers,
Matthew Peak, Robert Peak, Thomas Peak.
Illustration 1 1
Cosmopolitan illustration, 1964. Gouache. Ladies Home Journal illustration, 1964. Gouache.
McCall's illustration, 1965. Gouache.
Illustration 1 3
1 4 Illustration
7-UP advertisement, 1963. Winston Cigarettes advertisement, 1969.
Illustration 15
Bob Peak's first movie campaign for West Side Story, 1961. Gouache.
reflected in the fact that the family moved several times while
in Greenwich, switching houses periodically while remaining
in the same city.
Despite the separation of his studio from the family
living quarters, the frenetic energy of his four children
still proved to be too much of a distraction during Bob's
working hours. With this in mind, he moved his entire
studio up to nearby Wesport, Connecticut, setting up a two-
story workspace in a commercial building located on the
Saugutuck River. The half hour drive between his studio in
Wesport and his home in Greenwich offered an opportunity
to unwind as he sat behind the wheel of his Ferrari and
cruised through the beautiful surroundings of the the Merrit
Parkway. He particularly enjoyed the drive late at night,
coming back after putting in many long hours in front of
his easel working on any number of assignments. "A half
hour's ride in a Ferrari can do more for relaxing me than an
evening out at the theater," he said.
Bob Peak would gain his first exposure to the movie
industry in 1961, the same year he was awarded the "Artist
of the Year Award" by the Artist Guild of New York. David
Chassman, an executive at the United Artists film studio,
hired Bob to create a new look for a feature film version of
the hit Broadway musical West Side Story. Up until this time,
the major studios such as Universal, Allied Artists, and MGM
had used illustrators such as Reynold Brown, Ken Sawyer,
and Joe Smith to create the "key art" during the '50s and '60s
for westerns, romances and monster movies. The art created
for this film was a radical departure from the established
styles of these other artists.
To create the movie poster for West Side Story, Bob began
the project by doing a series of black and white drawings
followed by color paintings of Natalie Wood, Richard
Beymer, Rita Moreno, and George Chikiris. He incorporated
these subjects into a variety of settings from the film, trying
to combine them into a single painting. His flamboyant
montage had never been seen before in the film industry,
and it was from this point that Bob Peak would transform
the established philosophy toward movie advertising. Of the
key art for West Side Story, Bob said "My job is to encapsulate
a movie in one picture, maybe provide a collage of elements
that will entice people to come in." His influence over movie
art would continue throughout the '60s with work done for
The Birdman ofAlcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, The
Cincinatti Kid, In Like Flint, Our Man Flint, Modesty Blaise,
Lord Jim, Camelot, and My Fair Lady.
For My Fair Lady, done in 1964, Bob would create one
of his most memorable pieces depicting a young Audrey
Hepburn holding an umbrella while standing next to Rex
Harrison. Scenes from the movie are intertwined around the
two actors, with Hepburn's arms serving as the focal point
for the picture. Bob would later remark, "Audrey Hepburn's
1 6 Illustration
Original key art for My Fair Lady, 1964. Dr. RH. Martin's dyes and conte pencil on museum board.
Color sketch for Camelot, 1967. Gouache.
Color sketch for Camelot, 1967. Gouache.
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A letter to Bob Peak from Joshua Logan, the director of the film
Camelot, 1967.
arms were an 'A frame' for the action." A few years later, Bob
received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators
in 1967 for his widely recognized rendering of Vanessa
Redgrave and Richard Harris in Camelot.
THE PASSING OF BOB SR.
Sadly, the following year — on February 18, 1968 — would
bring the death of Bob's father. A longtime sufferer from
high-blood pressure, Bob Sr. also endured complications
from emphysema. Over the years, and in spite of his busy
schedule, Bob made many trips back to Wichita to visit with
his family back home. At the time of his passing, however,
Bob was angry with his father for having not been a better
provider for his siblings when he was alive. This sentiment
was reinforced by the fact that he and his brother Jack had
always helped out with their father's living expenses. He also
resented the seeming lack of support Bob Sr. had for his son's
profession as an illustrator.
This all changed, though, after Bob came across a large
scrapbook his father had kept, which contained innumer-
able articles and clippings of his son's work. Needless to say,
it was bittersweet for dad to finally learn that his own father
actually did admire what it was that he was doing for a living,
especially after so many years of thinking that he was com-
pletely disinterested. Adding to that was when Bob learned
that his father would take money from his Social Security
check every month and buy any magazines he could find that
contained his son's illustrations.
Color sketch for Camelot, 1967. Gouache.
1 8 Illustration
Original key art for Camelot, 1967. Gouache.
Illustration 19
Esquire illustration, 1961. Charcoal.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Bob's relationship with Sports Illustrated also began in the
'60s after making contact with Richard Gangel, the longtime
art director for the magazine. The relationship Bob had with
the magazine would prove fruitful over the years, provid-
ing him the opportunity to travel extensively while covering
a variety of high profile — and sometimes exotic — sporting
events. One of these memorable experiences came in 1964
when he was commissioned to go on safari with the Shah
of Iran as they hunted for ibex (mountain goats). Before
leaving for the trip, Bob had to take horseback riding lessons
in order to be properly trained for the seventeen day journey.
Upon arriving in Iran, Bob soon learned that the entire
trip was intended to be ridden bareback. However, after
several discussions with the leaders of the hunting party,
he convinced them to allow him the use of a saddle. Even
still, Bob found it hard to keep up with the pace of the
riders, and found himself falling further and further behind.
Worse yet, his companions never looked back to see where
he was or whether he was following along. After a success-
ful hunt, Bob was urged to take part in the traditional ritual
of draining and drinking the blood of the slain ibex. Not
wanting to offend the Shah, he took sips of the blood, and
then got sick behind a bush afterwards. When the group
Esquire illustration, 1961. Acrylic.
slept at the palace overnight, Bob found it hard to sleep due
to the persistent crunching noises he heard all around him.
When he asked one of the party members what the cause of
the noise was, he was told that it was the sound of termites
eating their way through the palace walls. Upon returning
to America, Bob came down with dysentery and was hospi-
talized. Nonetheless, he appreciated the opportunity to go
wherever Sports Illustrated would send him over the years.
In fact, another SI opportunity presented itself to Bob
Peak in 1969 for Super Bowl III. That year, the legendary
Joe Namath and the New York Jets of the AFL squared off
against the heavily favored Baltimore Colts on January 12.
In the week leading up to the game, "Broadway" Joe Namath
issued his bold prediction that his team would triumph over
the team with Johnny Unitas behind center. Dad had the
opportunity to roam the Jets' sidelines during the game,
taking full advantage of his press pass. With more than
enough material to work with, he returned to his studio
to work up a series of sketches, spending many exhausting
hours trying to head in the right direction. Using gouache
on medium board, he then did a series of finished illustra-
tions incorporating vibrant colors of red, yellow, blue, and
green. The article on Super Bowl III appeared alongside
dad's illustrations in the magazine.
This illustration for the Esquire magazine article "Sport's Greatest Event - Ritual Spectacle of
the Heavyweight Championship" won the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Award in 1961. Acrylic.
Illustration 21
ON THIS PAGE: Comprehensive sketches for Rollerball, 1975. Conte crayon.
THE 1970s
The next decade would see Bob continue to do a wide range of poster
art for some of the biggest feature films of that time. With each successive
project, it became more apparent that Bob was the "go to" guy when it
came to creating dynamic movie art that could engage the public and
capture their imagination.
Tailoring his craft to suit each assignment, Bob would say, "There are many
factors to take into consideration (when creating movie art): the selling
factor, the star quality, and contractual relationships, just to name a few."
Bob focused on the qualities of each particular film when creating the art for
it and how it related to its marketing. If the film was a period piece, the art
would not necessarily reflect the look of that period, since it "would probably
kill it." For a movie that was star driven, he would create a piece that
portrayed that actor's importance. And for a James Bond movie, he focused
on the peripheral elements that define the story.
In 1975, Bob received the opportunity to work on the upcoming United
Artists' release Rollerball, directed by Norman Jewison and starring James
Caan. As part of his research, Bob was sent to Germany for two and a half
weeks to work on preliminary sketches before returning to his studio to
complete the illustrations. He spent every day on the set working on the
sketches, and at night he would frequent the local German restaurants,
occasionally meeting up with Jewison and cast members to unwind from
the tight shooting schedule.
When Bob was once asked how he went about doing promotional work for
a film, he said: "I try not to work from stills whenever possible. I get a script
and usually see a screening. I may spend a week around the set, talking with
the director and actors to get a c feel' for the movie." Harvey Kahn would then
draw up a budget and time frame for Bob to complete the sketches in his
studio. During this phase, it always started off as a series of preliminary black
and white sketches. "The ideas for these sketches would come in one of two
ways — either right away or by working them out. The way to find a solution
is to start working. Then one idea leads to another," he said.
When Bob returned to his studio after leaving the Rollerball set in
Germany, he completed a series of ten watercolor paintings depicting various
action scenes from the film. These paintings were later reproduced in a
limited edition portfolio, and awarded an Award of Merit from the Society
X Original key art for Rollerball, 1975. Gouache and pastel.
Color sketch for The Missouri Breaks, 1976. Conte crayon and sepia ink.
Color sketch for The Missouri Breaks, 1976. Conte crayon and sepia ink.
of Illustrators. For the finished key art, which also received
an Award of Merit, Bob painted a 50" x 40" piece in gouache
entitled "Future Shock."
United Artists once again sent work Bob's way in 1976
for the upcoming film release The Missouri Breaks, starring
Jack Nicholson and the incomparable Marlon Brando. The
experience of working on Missouri Breaks would make an
impression on him in many ways. The first was his trip to
Montana: "I went to Montana and loved it. I loved getting
away from New York, and, in a sense, it was a way to revisit
the horizons of my roots," he was quoted as saying. The
second reason was because of his opportunity to work with
Brando, an experience he would revisit in 1978 on the set
of Apocalypse Now.
Brando's trademark reputation of being "difficult" during
filming did not escape Bob during work on Missouri Breaks.
The star was having problems remembering his lines (a
classic Brando trait), so the crew would hang up cue cards
out of the camera frame for him to read from. This worked
fine until one day, in the middle of a scene, Brando stopped
everything to tell Bob that his sketching was ruining his
concentration and had to stop. Bob discontinued his sketch-
ing for the remainder of the shoot and ended up going back
home with very little to work with. Nevertheless, Bob drew
up an inexhaustible number of crayon and charcoal sketches
on textured and rice paper. From these, Bob did a final 52"
x 40" watercolor and pastel painting on fiberglass canvas
depicting the heads of Brando and Nicholson.
.tLOiV * JACK
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"VIE MISSOURI
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One sheet poster for The Missouri Breaks, 1976.
Original key art for The Missouri Breaks, 1976. 40" x 52", gouache and pastel.
Illustration 25
Original art for Time magazine cover, 1975. Watercolor and pastel.
26 Illustration
Time, January 12, 1970. Time, August 23, 1971.
TIME MAGAZINE
In addition to his movie work, Bob would also begin
a fruitful relationship with Time magazine in the 1970's,
creating some of the nation's most memorable cover
illustrations — 45 in all. Bob's first job for Time was a rush
assignment done on Christmas Day, 1969, of the country
rock group "The Band." For the illustration, he worked up a
series of pencil and pastel idea sketches, eventually turning
two of them into finished illustrations. David Merill, art
director at Time, had the luxury of being able to choose from
two different pieces for the cover. The picture was eventually
used on the cover of the January 12, 1970 issue of the
magazine. From that point on, Bob always made two finished
illustrations for every cover he made for Time.
When working on Time covers, Bob always used photos
taken of his subjects, yet never copied the pictures exactly.
"I change things... I make my own shadows, for instance,"
he said. Almost a year after his portrait of "The Band,"
Bob received the assignment to paint a cover illustration
of Mother Teresa for the December 27, 1970 issue. This
painting, along with those he made of Anwar Sadat and
Marlon Brando, are now part of The Smithsonian Institute's
permanent collection.
Bob later said of the Mother Teresa project: "This was the
best experience I've ever had with a portrait. I related so
strongly to the character of this wonderful woman and it
was almost a religious act to paint it. I did two versions and
couldn't make a wrong stroke. It was painted in a transparent
watercolor, which can so easily go awry, but everything I laid
down went into position just right. I'd almost finished it late
in the afternoon, (but) when I saw it the next morning, the
light was streaming in from the window right across from
the painting. I got a chill up my spine, called up my wife and
told her about it. It's the only time I've had an experience
like that, but I'm convinced that I wasn't the only one who
guided the brush on that picture — it had to be the influence
of the character of that extraordinary lady." Others must
have shared that sentiment, because the watercolor portrait
of Mother Teresa later received an Award of Merit from the
Society of Illustrators.
Time, January 22, 1973. Time, June 23, 1975.
Original art for Time magazine cover, 1970. Watercolor.
Other illustrations Bob did for Time throughout the '70s
included such notable names as Richard Nixon, Juan and
Isabelita Peron, House Leader Thomas "Tip" O'Neil, Joni
Mitchell, and Henry Kissinger.
Illustration 27
TWA menu cover, "Las Vegas", 1973.
TWA
In 1973, Charles Butler Associates commissioned my father
to do a series of murals for the backs of the TWA movie
screens. Charles Butler, a renowned 20th Century designer
of British and American commercial aviation interiors, was
retained by TWA between 1970 and 1975 to serve as a con-
sultant on the refurbishment of their entire fleet. This project
included all of their DC-9s, Conair-88s, Boeing 727s, 770s,
747s, Lockheed LlOlls, and a new scheme for their 727s.
The four mural decorations Bob was assigned to paint
would depict the continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, and
North America. They would be reproduced in silk screen,
each measuring 35" x 83". Upon completion, the murals
would be placed in front of each section throughout the
aircraft. Because of the unique silk screen reproduction, Bob
knew he had to treat each mural with flat colors and large
decorative shapes. The murals would later be produced into
a special "Limited Edition" series of 16" x 38" lithographs,
personally autographed by the artist. TWA's Ambassador In
Flight Magazine also ran an article entitled "Art Gallery in
the Sky" on the art of Bob Peak.
The murals met with rave reviews from Charles Butler
Associates and TWA, which led dad to do a series of
menu covers for the airline. Each menu cover was done to
represent one of the major world cities. He continued to
produce artwork for other TWA publications like the
Getaway Adventures guides with their wrap-around cover
designs. This artwork was more sophisticated and subtle
than the murals, but kept with the basic design scheme and
look that Bob had produced from the original four murals.
Over a period of two years, dad illustrated 60 pieces for
TWA. These works gave him a tremendous amount of
exposure, and enabled him to receive broader media
exposure from such publications as North Light magazine
and Communication Arts.
TWA Getaway Adventures magazine cover, 1973.
28 Illustration
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Original oil on cavas entitled "Custer", 1976. This painting won an Award of Merit from the Society of Illustrators in 1977.
THE OLD WEST
Bob Peak's love of the old west was instilled early in his
Colorado childhood. His grandmother Kate Belle Coblenz
was enamored with Buffalo Bill — because she knew him
personally. Bob would later say, "We used to have picnics
by Buffalo Bill's grave on Lookout Mountain. I remember
my grandmother standing with her in front of his grave.
I remember the story of when she met Bill Cody in Hays
City, Kansas. . . and I remember her saying that Buffalo Bill
was the greatest man she ever knew."
When she died in Denver, Colorado at the age of 98, her
will instructed that her body be cremated and the ashes
spread over the grave of William Fredrick Cody.
Over the years, Bob would read all the stories and letters of
this legendary figure. He also read numerous books on the
subject of the early American West and some of its famed
and infamous characters such as Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse
James, Billy the Kid, General George Custer, "Doc" Holiday,
the Earp Borthers.
This interest in the Old West was rekindled by the assign-
ment to paint a series on the "Marlboro Man" for the Phillip
Morris Company in the mid-1970s. Bob would do a series
of watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings over a
period of six years for both Marlboro and Marlboro Lights
Cigarettes. The Marlboro campaign was both artistically
and financially rewarding, though at times all consuming.
Bob would also receive an assignment from Mohawk
Paper Mills Company to advertise their Navajo Fieldstone
Cover Paper by doing two different prespectives of his boy-
hood idol, "Buffalo Bill" Cody in poster form.
It was during this "Western Phase" that Bob would
embark in a direction of creating a series of oil, watercolor,
pastel and charcoal gallery paintings depicting scenes and
characters from the early American West. These large gallery
paintings would have names like "The Hunting Party",
"The Last Great Scout", "Indian Dancers", "General Custer",
and "Buffalo Bill Cody".
THE ILLUSTRATORS WORKSHOP
In the summer of 1976, Bob would participate in a unique
program called the "Illustrators Workshop." The one month
long workshop was designed to offer an intensive learning
30 Illustration
Original art for a Marlboro Cigarettes advertisement, 1974. Watercolor on paper. >►
r
Original art for a Marlboro Cigarettes advertisement, 1974. Watercolor on paper.
32 Illustration
Original oil on cavas entitled "The Hunting Party", 1985.
experience as an introduction into the field of professional illus-
tration. Six of America's greatest contemporary illustrators designed
the course — Bernie Fuchs, Mark English, Bob Heindel, Fred Otnes,
and Bob Peak himself — and were collectively able to persuade
Michael J. Smollin, a fellow colleague with extensive advertising and
management experience, to serve as managing director. Alan E. Cober
acted as the group's functionary president.
By the 1970s, the dynamics of the commercial art world of
the '40s, '50s, and '60s had changed drastically. In earlier years,
the apprenticeship stage had served as an important role in the
development of many of the country's most outstanding artists.
Up-and-coming illustrators during the '50s were able to hone their
skills by working in the bullpens of any number of large art studios,
with direct contact with many of their heroes. By contrast, the '70s
saw many young newcomers lost on their own, lacking the direction
or connections to truly support themselves in their profession. Places
like the Cooper Studio, Chaite Studio and others ceased to exist,
and the entire commercial art field underwent significant changes.
The Illustrators Workshop sought to provide an effective way for the
budding commercial artist to make the transition from student painter
to practicing professional in the modern era.
"It's a frustrating, bewildering period to make the transition from
school or working in a studio into this rough, tough marketplace,"
Original art for a Marlboro Cigarettes advertisement, 1974.
Watercolor on paper.
Illustration 33
Original art for a Marlboro Cigarettes advertisement, 1974. Watercolor on paper.
Original art for a Marlboro Cigarettes advertisement, 1974.
Watercolor on paper.
Bob commented. "Here you've got six seasoned veterans
ready to help you, to explain this thing to you, and to (help)
get you going.
"If only I could have had that when I came to New York,"
Bob said. "Imagine having Robert Fawcett, Austin Briggs, Al
Parker, and Harold Von Schmidt to talk to and critique my
drawings. Wouldn't that have been something?"
The program consisted of two segments: a seminar portion
and a workshop portion. The seminar was designed as a week-
long series of lectures by various instructors from leading mag-
azines: graphic designers, art directors, sellers, and illustrators.
They included such guest speakers as Art Paul, art director at
Playboy magazine; Eugene Light, art director at Warner Books;
and Harvey Kahn. The workshop portion was devoted to work-
ing on actual assignments, providing students with a chance
to work under bona fide professional conditions. The students
would be given daily individual attention from the members of
the faculty, whether it be in the classroom or lecture hall.
Students, in groups of twenty, were given the unique oppor-
tunity to actually visit the studios and homes of the instructors.
Six of the seven members had set their studio in or adjacent to
their living quarters (Bob was the only one whose studio wasn't
set-up in his residence). Instead, he occupied a two-floor space
in Wesport, Connecticut. Without question, this immersion
experience gave students an invaluable glimpse into the artists'
personal environment, with hopes of gaining an added appreci-
ation of how reflective it was of the work they were producing.
34 Illustration
Original watercolor on paper entitled "Buffalo Bill", 1985.
Illustration 35
Comprehensive sketch for Apocalypse Now, 1979. Graphite and watercolor.
Comprehensive sketch for Apocalypse Now, 1979. Graphite.
APOCALYPSE NOW
In 1978, Bob would once again team with United
Artists, this time receiving the assignment to help create
the key art for the big screen adaptation of Francis Ford
Coppola's Apocalypse Now, starring Marlon Brando,
Martin Sheen, and Robert Duvall. The film was inspired
by Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, adapted
to fit the contemporary setting of the Vietnam War.
As expected, there was a tremendous amount of hype
surrounding the film, with a great deal of money, time,
and efforted dedicated to its production. Brando alone
was being paid one million dollars a week for the effort.
Before beginning work, Bob had the chance to meet
with Coppola to get a feel for the picture and to better
define what it was that the director was looking for. The
sentiment was that Coppola wanted to make an event
of the film, and to that effect Bob created five final
promotional paintings. To get to this point, the artist
spent countless hours working up a series of 18" x 24"
black and white sketches. These studies evaluated the
overall layout and helped Bob firm up his design ideas
for the finished paintings.
"This is an exceptional visual film, and required an
image with a specific felling," Bob Peak said of Apocalypse
Now. A theme that he returned to throughout his art
for the film was based on his opinion that "Brando has
a marvelous head." That's why, on completion of the
f
Art for Apocalypse Now, 1979. 30" x 40", watercolor and gouache.
Original key art for Apocalypse Now, 1979. 30" x 40", watercolor and gouache on museum board.
Illustration 37
Color comprehensive art for Apocalypse Now, 1979. Pastel.
preliminary sketches, Bob decided that Brando's head
would be the centerpiece of his composition. The smaller
heads of Duvall and Sheen would surround Brando's, with
the burning red sun separating them. On one of the other
finished pieces, Bob would do Brando's head with an image
of the boat headed down the river. Coppola, however,
insisted that the bridge be included as well, so another
painting was done with the bridge below Brando's head and
the boat headed down the river.
Finally, after everything was complete and Bob had
produced the final five paintings, Coppola and Duvall's
differences on the set finally reached a boiling point. At
Coppola's instruction, Bob was forced to remove Robert
Duvall's image from all of the paintings.
All of the final images were painted in watercolor and
gouache on stretched watercolor paper, and measured
34" x 44". Bob tried to keep the watercolor paintings trans-
parent as long as he could so that he could use pastels or
airbrush to create flares and feather things out. "It seemed
to work like magic," he said. Bob then finished off the
paintings with a coat of acrylic matte medium to separate
layers of paint in order to develop glazes. In spite of the
difficulties of working on Apocalypse Now, Bob would later
tell his agent that it "was the most exciting thing (he) ever
worked on."
Comprehensive sketch for Apocalypse Now, 1979. Charcoal and gouache.
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X Original art for Apocalypse Now, 1979. 40" x 30", watercolor and gouache on museum board.
Illustration 39
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Original art for Superman, The Movie, 1978. Pastel and gouache.
Original key art for Superman, The Movie, 1978. 34.5" x 44.5", pastel and gouache.
Original key art for The Wiz, 1978. 34" x 42", gouache.
Original art for The Wiz, 1978. 34" x 42", gouache.
Original key art for HAIR, 1979. 32" x 45", gouache.
Original art for HAIR, 1979. 30" x 40", gouache.
GALLERY PAINTINGS
In 1978, Bob was approached by Jack O'Grady to do a
one man show of his work at Jack O'Grady Galleries at
333 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Jack
O'Grady — himself a professional photographer and gallery
owner — had followed Bob Peak's art and career for some
time. They had established a working relationship in 1975
when Bob collaborated with renowned Illustrators Workshop
members Bernie Fuchs and Mark English as part of the
"Custer to Cochise Show" at the O'Grady Galleries in April
of that year. The show proved to be a huge success, with all
of Bob's paintings selling out quickly.
As a commercial illustrator, Bob had always said, "You are
hired to solve someone else's problem and to please your
client. I love it. That's what I always wanted to be, even as a
little kid, and I am well suited for it. When I get a problem,
I analyze it for what it is, and what I should do to solve the
problem." With his fine arts paintings, Bob would work to
solve his own problem and please himself. He would say,
"Once you get a taste of painting what you want and selling
it, that's great."
Over the years, despite his heavy work schedule, Bob had
always found the time each year to do a certain number of
fine arts paintings for himself. The opportunity to do a one
man show was something he had been working towards
for some time. He would later say, "I did it because I had
to do it." The show, entitled "People, Places & Things: The
Art of Robert Peak," had its opening on April 18, 1978. The
show consisted of some 20 paintings, sketches, and Peak's
first lithograph. Bob Peak's paintings would include "Cathy
with Cat", a watercolor portrait measuring 36" x 24" of a
young girl sitting innocently on the ground with her cat.
Surrounding her are beautifully muted green budding
summer flowers and trees with delicate splashes of yellow
and purple colors to enhance the enchanted setting. He
named the painting after my sister, who sat for him.
Like all painters and illustrators, Bob studied the works
of many renowned artists. The list of artists that dad
admired included such painters as Robert Henri, John Singer
Sargent, Egon Shiele and Nicolai Fechin. For the O'Grady
Gallery Show, Bob would do a number of portraits of these
famous artists.
One of the works was a pencil sketch measuring 30" x 40"
of Robert Henri standing, full figure, body positioned almost
sideways to the viewer, with one hand in his pocket and the
other hand hanging from his vest pocket. The sketch shows
Bob's strong use of line, and detailed in the focal areas of
Henri's vest and head with portions of the arms, shoulders,
and legs outlined only with pencil — revealing little or no
detail. Bob would do a second painting on Henri using the
same pose, only this time the piece was done with oil on
paper. He added a potted plant and partial wall behind him
to give a sense of depth and added color. He left the right
side of the painting blank with only the brown color of the
paper showing.
Bob was an ardent admirer of the work of Egon Schiele,
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1967 Famous Artists Course featuring hundreds of images and instruction by
Bob Peak and Bernie Fuchs.
Original mixed media work entitled "White Lady". 32" x 40",
Illustration 47
Original oil on museum board entitled "Portrait of Robert Henri", 1978. 20" x 25".
48 Illustration
Original oil on canvas painting entitled "Portrait of John Singer Sargent", 1988. 40" x 30"
the Austrian born artist who would die tragically in 1918
at the age of 28. Throughout his life, Schiele was portrayed
as a troubled artist who made eroticism one of his major
themes (and was briefly imprisoned for obscenity in 1912.)
Schiele was obsessed with his own appearance and made a
large number of self-portraits. Bob would paint a revealing
watercolor entitled "Portrait of Egon Schiele ," measuring
24" x 36" showing the artist, hands in his pockets, admiring
himself in a full length mirror. We see only a glimpse of his
face in the foreground image, and it is in the mirror that
Bob reveals the true character of his subject. To the artist's
left, stacked against the wall, are a few of his finished and
unfinished paintings.
Bob would also complete two portraits of John Singer
Sargent for the O'Grady Galleries Show. He was the most
influential artist in Bob's fine arts work and was the one
artist he most admired and talked about. I can remember as
a college student, my father giving me a large John Singer
Sargent book as a Christmas gift. He was so enamored with
this artist and his beautiful work he was hoping to pass along
some of this enthusiasm to me. I eventually read the book
and studied the images, and have come to appreciate this
great artist.
The two pieces Bob completed on Sargent portray the
artist seated on a couch dressed in what appears to be a
three piece suit, holding a distinguished pose with his right
hand on his hip. His other hand is holding a lit cigarette,
hand pointed upwards. One piece was done with charcoal
on paper measuring 30" x 40", my personal favorite. Here,
he portrays Sargent's flamboyant character, working with
the charcoal in a feathery way. "It's a virtuoso kind of thing,"
my dad would say. The second painting, an oil on paper,
measured 25" x 20". Only now, Bob had included a vase of
flowers in the foreground underneath Sargent's left hand
holding the cigarette. With most of Sargent's body in
shadow, we only see into portions of his face with his left
hand holding up the cigarette. A candelabrum positioned
behind the couch throws off flares of golden light. All of
these elements lend to the mood of the painting.
A show of Bob Peak's fine arts paintings would not be
complete without images of the Old West. For the O'Grady
Show, Bob would paint portraits of three colorful figures
Illustration 49
Original oil on canvas entitled "Robert Henri with Unidentified Woman", 1987. 40" x 63".
50 Illustration
from this era, "Mountain Man ," "Last of the Great Scouts ,"
and "Buffalo Bill." "Mountain Man" was a pastel painting
measuring 30" x 40". This is one of my favorite Western
paintings ever done by my father. "Last of the Great Scouts,"
a watercolor measuring 24" x 36", was inspired by the daring
cavalry scouts who would precede a regiment to scout out
an area for possible danger. Bob Peak's portrait of "Buffalo
Bill" was another watercolor painting measuring 22" x 30".
This legendary figure would be sketched and painted by Bob
several times over the years. This painting would show us the
influence in his work of yet another painter, Nicolai Fechin,
the Russian artist who came into prominence in the early
1900s. Fechin would land in New York in 1923, later
moving to the dryer climate of Taos, New Mexico in 1927
to help with the tuberculosis that he had developed while
living in New York. In Taos, he became part of the great
Southwestern art movement. It is these images of the Pueblo
Indians and his charcoal drawings that heavily influenced
much of Peak's own charcoal paintings.
The O' Grady Galleries Show proved to be quite a success
and spurred Bob on to create more fine art pieces. In the
'80s, he began turning his attention to painting pictures of
elegant women and couples in romantic settings. Constantly
searching for new means of self-expression, Bob turned
inward to his own heart and soul, producing paintings unlike
any we had seen from him in the past. He gave these paint-
ings names like "A Fine Romance," "Stardust Dance," "Silver
Mist," "Circles and Triangles," "Spring into Summer," "Robert
Henri with Unidentified Woman," and "Rapture." He would
not rest his palette with these works, though. Paintings like
"Medusa," "Black Thunder," "Blue Vase," and "The Other
Bridge" would also be done, giving us variations to his sub-
ject matter. Bob would also give us a rare landscape painting
titled "After Monet," an exquisite oil painting different in
style than any he had done before. Though scarce in number,
these paintings represented a lifetime of learning and experi-
ences; his feelings expressing the joys, sorrows, and wonders
of life.
Though Bob would continue with his illustration work
into the 1980s and '90s, fine arts painting would become
more important and prevalent with each passing year.
A MOVE TO ARIZONA
In the summer of 1977, after many years residing on the
east coast in New York and then Connecticut, Bob Peak
once again yearned for the wide open spaces, blue skies and
milder winters. He decided to move out west to Scottsdale,
Arizona with his wife Lucille and set up a new residence. At
the time, our mother was not too thrilled with the prospect
of moving from Greenwich, Connecticut where they had
established roots and where she had formed friendships that
had lasted throughout the years. She gave in, however, and
began packing up all their belongs and arranging everything
for the movers. As an added chore, they both had to close
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Illustration 51
Original watercolor on paper entitled "Cathi with Cat", 1978. 36" x 24",
"Circles and Triangles", 1986. 46" x 78". Oil on canvas.
down Bob's studio right off the Saugutuck River in Westport, Connecticut
which was a task in itself, considering all the years he had worked there.
They also had to concern themselves with all his reference materials and
files of illustrations that needed to be transported out to Arizona.
Our parents had taken several trips out to Scottsdale ahead of time
to look for a place to set up their residence and his studio. They chose
a home still under construction in what was, at that time, considered
North Scottsdale, located in a gated community with swimming pool,
tennis courts and clubhouse for its residents. After selling their house
in Greenwich, Bob and his wife moved temporarily to The Greenwich
Country Club while their new home in Scottsdale was being completed.
Earlier that year, our mother had not been feeling well. She was diagnosed
with cancer and had surgery. We had all believed she was on her way to
a full recovery, but would later find out differently. Once in Arizona, Bob
set up a temporary studio attached to the main house. The working space
was smaller than he was accustomed to, but made do for now. He would
later move his studio to a commercial space near the Scottsdale Airport.
Bob Peak's reputation established over the many years afforded him the
luxury of living where he wanted. He did tell me though, he thought their
move to Arizona made his agent Harvey Kahn somewhat nervous, as I'm
sure it would any artist representative. The work kept coming in, though,
and Bob's reputation for producing great and innovative work continued.
It was in late 1979 that our mother's battle with cancer would take a
turn for the worst. She would pass away on December 12th, 1979
in Los Angeles at the UCLA medical clinic. Our father, myself, my
sister Catherine and brothers Robert and Matthew and all the family
would be present.
52 Illustration
Original oil on canvas entitled "Early Summer", 1978. 40" x 30".
Our father was devastated by the loss of our mother.
Over the next few years, he would experience a difficult
time adjusting to life without his soul mate. We all did
our best to console him during this tragic period, at the
same time grieving with our own loss. His agent and
friend Harvey Kahn showed great understanding in
backing off the job assignments. Slowly, as his zest for
life returned, Harvey began approaching him with work.
Our father would eventually return to a busy work
schedule, but the absence of our mother would leave a
void in his heart, never to be replaced again.
Eventually, Bob would sell his home in Scottsdale,
Arizona and move further north out Scottsdale Road
to the community of Carefree. In Carefree, overlooking
the valley, he would set up a much larger residence that
included a swimming pool and guest house. He would
close down his studio by the Scottsdale Airport and
move everything back to his home, where he set up
his studio in the guest house with most of his files
and reference materials finding a home in one of the
spacious three door garage areas.
"The Other Bridge", 1990. Oil on canvas. This was Bob Peak's last fine arts painting.
Illustration 53
THE 1980s
In the last full decade of his life, Bob Peak stood at the top
of his profession as one of the most imaginative and highly
sought-after illustrators in the country. The industry, though,
was now caught in the midst of change. A good portion of
illustrative assignments were starting to give way to pho-
tography and specialty houses. These firms were — and still
are — able to put together several elements into a single piece,
giving art directors finished work at a fraction of the cost
and time it would take an illustrator to complete the same
assignment. Despite this apparent move within the advertis-
ing industry, Bob Peak's reputation for producing new and
innovative work continued to put him in a position of high
demand by major advertising agencies and clients.
In the movie industry, where Bob Peak had established
his reputation for his unique and innovative work, he was
continually sought after to produce key art for many of the
major films being produced throughout the 1980s and '90s.
Bob would also be commissioned to work on such major
projects as the U.S. Postal Service Olympic Stamp assign-
ment, the 1984 Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the
fifteen year anniversary of the Special Olympics, the 1988
Indianapolis 500, and a commission for Miller Brewing
Company.
In 1980, my sister Catherine and I had the opportunity
to experience some of the environment surrounding the
Illustrators Workshop with which my dad had been a part of
for several years. Just a few months before this, our mother
had passed away, and it was at our father's suggestion that we
accompany him to France where he would be taking part in
the latest session of the Workshop. Naturally, my sister and I
jumped at the chance, quickly gathering together our pass-
ports to catch a flight to Paris to meet up with our dad.
Neither of us had — before then — visited Europe, and,
needless to say, we both had a great time. Initially, the inten-
tion was to have me help out at the Workshop with setting
up slide presentations and assist with whatever else was
needed for our father or the other illustrators involved.
Unfortunately, on my first day at the lectures, some of the
students objected to my being there, saying that I had not
paid to be a part of the classes and that it wasn't fair that
I participate. My interests were, in fact, not to become
an illustrator, but only to be of assistance during the day.
Nevertheless, I excused myself from any further classroom
involvement after that.
My sister and I spent our time in Paris visiting the vari-
ous museums and sights during the day. In the evening, our
father would take us to hook up for dinner and drinks with
Mike Smollin and the other illustrators and their wives.
We would sit and talk for hours at any number of the differ-
ent restaurants and bistros in the city. It was such an enjoy-
able experience, and everyone present was extremely nice to
my sister and myself. They were a great group of people to be
around, and I had been enamored by all of their work over
the years. I was especially fond of Bernie Fuchs' work.
In fact, I still have one of his paintings of a bullfighter hang-
ing in my dining room at home.
When time permitted, my father would take us over to
the Musee de Louvre, Musee d Orsay, Cathedral of Notre
Dame, and may other remarkable sites around Paris. Dad
was in awe of the work done by the great European Masters
like Philippe de Champaigne, Antonella da Messina,
Leonardo da Vinci, and other great artists. We learned a
great deal about them from our father. Dad was not just
an artist himself, but a student of these and other great
painters like Toulouse Lautrec, Renoir, Matisse, and
Van Gogh, just to name a few. He knew so much about so
many of these great painters, he would later tell us that
"visiting the Louvre can sure bring things into perspective
when assessing one's own work." Though the Paris
experience came at a difficult time for all of us, it was an
educational experience that I will cherish forever.
Bob Peak with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 1983.
THE SPIRIT OF SPORT
Throughout an artist's career, occasionally an assignment
comes along that holds much more significance then being
just another project. In 1983, Bob Peak would receive such
an assignment when he was commissioned to produce six
paintings for reproduction into a limited edition series of
original lithographs to commemorate the 15th Anniversary
of the Special Olympics.
The Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, honorary chairperson. Her husband,
Sargent Shriver, is chairman of the board, and Timothy P.
Shriver, Ph.D. now serves as president and CEO. The Special
Olympics were designed to provide people with mental
retardation an opportunity to develop fitness, demonstrate
their courage, and experience the joy of competition as they
participate and share in friendship with fellow athletes.
"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the
attempt." These words are the oath honoring those athletes
who participate in these Special Olympics.
Bob Peak's first task was to choose six athletes exemplifying
the characteristics of courage, spirit, and self-determination
which are the hallmarks of the Special Olympics.
*K Original key art for Every Which Way You Can, 1980. 34" x 42", Pastel, gouache and acrylic.
Illustration 55
Bob Peak with Howard Cosell, Wilt Chamberlain and Frank Gifford.
These individuals would be more then just outstanding
athletes; each would transcend their chosen sport by
exemplifying qualities of compassion, selflessness, and a
willingness to improve the lives of others. Bob chose Frank
Gifford, Chris Everet Lloyd, Joe DiMaggio, Jack Nicklaus,
Pele, and Wilt Chamberlain as his subjects. Each of these
fine athletes would then work with Bob Peak to select their
qualities to be represented, as expressed in their own words.
Instead of creating his images from the actual world of
sports, Bob chose to symbolize each athlete's special qualities
as embodied in the world of nature. For Frank Gifford, Bob
painted a scene of trees whose leaves have changed with the
autumn season. Reflected through the image are small scenes
of children at play. The autumn symbolizes the football
season, and the children the joy of sport and competition.
"The greatest thing about sport is the memory of having been
there" — Frank Gifford.
For his painting reflecting the spirit, compassion, and
commitment to excellence as shown by Chris Everet
Lloyd, Bob painted a wintery scene of white birch trees
surrounded by an icy snow- filled ground. In the foreground
are beautiful yellow flowers refusing to yield to the winter
chill. This painting symbolizes the athlete herself full of
self determination, persisting even in the face of adversity.
"Sometimes I think I grew up faster from losing than from
winning" — Chris Everet Lloyd.
A solitary runner illuminated by the radiance of a sunset,
alone, concentrating. This is the image Bob visualized to
represent Joe DiMaggio, a man who through his individual
efforts and team leadership would bring out the best
qualities in not just himself but in those who touched and
were touched by him. These are qualities that truly express
the meaning and spirit of the Special Olympics. "All of us
need victories in life. . . even if they are only victories over
ourselves." — Joe DiMaggio.
For his painting of Jack Nicklaus and his continual
compassion toward helping others, Bob chose a late
afternoon setting of children at play with a ball on a green
field of grass with rays of late afternoon sunlight filtering
Limited edition lithograph for the Special Olympics. "The greatest thing about sport is the memory of having been there."- Frank Gifford.
56 Illustration
through the distant trees. Long shadows of the children
stream across the field as day begins its slow decent into
night. One senses, if not for their loss of light, these children
would continue to play on forever. "To love a game, to play it,
is the greatest joy of childhood. Only later do we learn it is one
of the greatest joys of life." — Jack Nicklaus.
Bob's next subject would be the legendary soccer player
Pele. Against a magnificent sky of blue, a herd of horses led
by their leader takes refuge against the approaching storm.
The qualities of strength and leadership within the unity
of teamwork as shown in this painting represent the same
qualities Pele has shown throughout his own life. "Sport is
health and life itself. For we come together, share fellowship,
and discover how alike we are." — Pele.
To portray Wilt Chamberlain — a giant even among
athletes — Bob would paint an image of enormous cliffs
towering over the surging waves far below as they crash
relentlessly into massive towers. Undaunted by their
onslaught, these towering images stand steadfast, much like
the unshakable strength, determination, and persistence of
Chamberlain himself. "The true spirit of sport is not how tall
you stand nor how high you reach. It's how much you give of
what you have to give." — Wilt Chamberlain.
Upon completion of the six paintings, the next step was
to take these images and reproduce them into a Limited
Edition Series of original lithographs titled "Spirit of Sport".
This work marked Bob Peak's first effort in the medium of
fine art lithography. He would personally pay meticulous
attention to every detail throughout the process from
the original paintings to the finished production of the
lithographs themselves.
Working with the skilled lithographic craftsmen of the
renowned Atelier Ettinger, Bob would give endless hours
of his time to ensure that every nuance, line, and tone of
his original paintings would be reproduced to perfection.
He personally selected the finest hand-woven lithographic
paper and hand-mixed inks. He then prepared each color
plate for the series by hand and had final approval of each
print that came off of the hand-fed presses. The edition
was limited to 350 sets of lithographs. Once the run was
completed and approved by Bob Peak, the original plates
were then destroyed.
In New York, Bob would attend a special ceremonial
presentation of his original Special Olympics paintings,
attended by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the selected athletes,
and other sports and business dignitaries. The six Special
Olympics paintings were unveiled to a renowned and
enthusiastic audience. Afterwards, behind a backdrop of the
paintings themselves, Bob had his picture taken with Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, the athletes, and several of the attendees.
Even the late Howard Cosell got in on some of the picture
taking with Bob and the other sports personalities. This
would be an assignment and an evening my dad would
remember and cherish.
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Illustration 57
Downhill Skiing, 1984 Winter Olympics stamp design. United States Postal Service 1984 Summer Olympics poster.
58 Illustration
OLYMPIC STAMPS
"First: It won't be all running and jumping. Second:
Winter and summer will be represented. Third: The activities
represented will be as accurately depicted as possible. Fourth:
They will be well designed. Fifth: They will be colorful."
These were the words spoken by the 17 member Citizens'
Advisory Committee charged with the task of bringing forth
a diverse, precise, vibrant, and attractive set of 24 stamps
— plus four pieces of postal stationery — to honor the 1984
Los Angeles Summer Games and the Sarajevo Winter Games.
The Advisory Committee, however, did not make the final
decision on which stamps are printed; they only served as
counsel in the process. The final decision on which stamps
were printed was in the hands of the Postmaster General.
Serving as one of the Advisory Committees' members was
James A. Michener, famed American novelist, essayist and
travel book writer.
The Advisory Committee began by conducting an exhaus-
tive process of reviewing stamps produced for prior Olympic
Games from 1896 through 1960. What they found was that
564 stamps had been issued showing specific events like
running and discus throwing, with another 131 honoring
the games themselves without showing any specific events.
Since 1960 the number of stamps issued had approached a
thousand. After examining all the prior Olympic Stamps, the
committee came to the conclusion that over the years, some
exceptionally good stamps had been produced — and some
poor ones as well. This Olympic Stamp review provided the
committee with invaluable information on what to look for
and what to avoid.
The 1984 Summer and Winter Olympic issues would be
the largest single commission ever given to one individual
in designing postal stamps. The Stamp Advisory Committee
conducted an extensive search to find the right artist who
could display athletic authenticity, diversity, movement,
drama, excellent drawing, and vivid color. Bob Peak was
chosen for the assignment for his proven reputation of
producing brilliant, colorful, and exciting images.
At the outset of the postal assignment, Bob Peak turned
to fellow Hall of Fame Illustrator Stevan Dohanos, who had
served as design coordinator of the Citizen's Stamp Advisory
Committee from 1961 to 1981. Over the years, Steve had cre-
ated 40 stamps himself and commissioned over 300 by fellow
artists. Steve told my father, "You'll have to think small when
you're doing a stamp." Bob hadn't yet realized just how small
that would be.
The Postal Service had already made their decision on
what Olympic events would be portrayed on the 28 stamps.
A firm rule of the Postal Service states that no living person
shall appear on an American stamp, and that no dead per-
son may appear, except former Presidents, until ten years
have passed since that person's death. Because of this, only
a few American Olympic heroes — like Jesse Owens and Jim
Thorpe — have qualified.
Bob began his assignment by doing an enormous amount
of research. He began to dig through books, articles, files
Illustration 59
"Golden Moments in Archery-Luann Ryon, USA", 1984. Watercolor.
on athletes, and files on the Olympics. Bob would say, "You
don't just put things in. You have to know what you can and
should leave in."
Once Bob felt he had compiled enough material to work
from, he was ready to start on his preliminary sketches. At
this point Bob met with Bradbury Thompson, a prominent
graphic designer who would serve as the art director on
the project. Thompson was also in charge of arranging the
lettering on all the stamps. Bob felt he had to leave white
space for the type. He felt it would be no good trying to run
letters over a color. Bob would also have to keep within the
Postal Service guidelines by producing his paintings small —
7.2" x 4.2". This was because large illustrations usually have
too much fine detail to reduce to stamp size effectively.
Peak was used to working in a large format, sometimes
30" x 40" or even larger. He began sketching small to
establish some type of rhythmic flow with his hand. After
much time and practice, he felt he had a workable style and
began with his initial sketches on each sport represented.
The Postal Service has selected an almost even balance of
male to female athletes. Dad would later say, "I was careful
to keep the uniforms entirely generic. . . no numbers, and
no indications of national teams."
Bob chose bands of color to help unify the stamp designs
but still work on their own from sport to sport. At first, he
had trouble with being consistent without totally repeating
the band design from one stamp to the next. Fortunately,
some of the objects depicted in several of the stamps such
as barbells, skis, a bicycle, and a basketball helped with that
stamp's design. He also found some difficulty when it came
to stamps portraying team sports like soccer and volleyball.
It was difficult to fit everything in.
With dozens of sketches completed, Bob left his studio
in Scottsdale, Arizona and headed to Washington, D.C. to
Postal Service Headquarters. Once in Washington, experts
from the Stamp Division looked over all the preliminary
sketches and made their selections of those pieces that would
be turned into actual stamps. Then there was a meeting with
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to arrange for printing
proofs and make any suggestions to improve printing qual-
ity on any of the pieces. Next, the U.S. Olympic Committee
was asked to provide a group of specialists from college
teams, coaches, and Olympic competitors who could check
the accuracy of Bob Peak's illustrations. Once changes were
made to a few of the sketches and they were approved, Bob
would return to his studio in Scottsdale and complete the
finished illustrations.
Peak would transfer his approved sketches to D'Arches
watercolor paper and start on the finals. Some problems
developed, though. In particular, the printing cylinder
proofs turned up some difficulties with the colors. Bob had
a tendency to gray-off the flesh tones. In the press, too much
60 Illustration
red tone re- appeared. To produce warmer flesh tones,
Bob adjusted the scale of the colors. Finally, the finished
illustrations were ready to go to print. He would later say,
"When I was about halfway finished with my final illustra-
tions, I realized this job was the smallest thing I have ever
done, but it would have more readership than anything else
I'd ever done. That gave me a sense of satisfaction."
Bob Peak's twenty-four Olympic stamps and four
postal stationery Olympic images would be printed in the
millions and circulated worldwide. They would be treasured
by thousands of stamp collectors and seen by countless
future generations.
GOLDEN MOMENTS
The triumphant achievement of the U.S. Postal Stamp
commission would lead to an even larger project for Bob
Peak. Once again, the U.S. Postal Service commissioned him
to produce a series of thirty-two watercolor paintings. These
impressionistic paintings were to expand on the Olympic
theme shown in the stamps. The U.S. Postal Service would
then produce these thirty-two watercolor paintings into a
book in 1984 titled Golden Moments. Each Olympic water-
color painting was shown on a two -page spread with that
event's corresponding stamp displayed actual size on the
upper left hand side of the page. The book was dedicated
to the late Jim Thorpe, a magnificent American athlete who
won both the decathlon and pentathlon events in the 1912
Olympic Games. In 1950, an Associated Press poll named
Thorpe as the "Greatest Male Athlete of the First Half of the
Twentieth Century."
The Golden Moments book included a foreword by James
Michener. The sports narrative was written by Bob Hoobing,
New England sports editor for the Associated Press and
sports editor of The Boston Herald. The stamp design narra-
tive was done by David Lewis Eynon, Philadelphia advertis-
ing executive and former general manager of the Philatelic
Education Division of the U.S. Postal Service.
The Olympic watercolor paintings proved to be an assign-
ment of mammoth proportions, with a good portion of 1983
dedicated solely to completing this unprecedented com-
mission. The project called for depicting several celebrated
athletes and teams who had participated in the Olympics
throughout the years. The decision on which athletes would
be painted was in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service. Once
Bob knew which athletes and teams he would showcase in
Golden Moments, he began an exhaustive amount of research
to learn as much as he could about each of these extraordi-
nary individuals. Bob made it a point to learn just how each
athlete came into prominence, studying photographs of each
athlete in competition to gain knowledge of their form and
facial expressions. He also paid particular attention to what
the athletes wore. It was vital that he get this information
correct on all of his watercolor paintings.
Being a sports enthusiast myself, my father asked me to
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Illustration 61
assist him with some of his research into a few of the ath-
letes and their events. I was somewhat familiar with boxing,
weight lifting, swimming, and track and field. I did research
for him on U.S. boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, the great Soviet
weight lifter Vasily Alexeyev, U.S. freestyle swimmer Debbie
Meyer, and track and field stars Edwin Moses, Al Oerter, and
Jesse Owens. I compiled information for dad to work from
showing these athletes performing during competition. I
made notes as to their stances and leg and hand positions.
Some of these notes included information on Sugar Ray
Leonard and how he positioned his hands, legs, and torso
right before delivering a punch. Also included was a descrip-
tion of Al Oeter and how he distributed his body weight and
positioned his limbs just prior to releasing the discus. On
the Olympic sports I was not familiar with — such as fencing,
archery, hockey, and speed skating — dad would research and
gather his own information to work from.
Once he felt that there was enough reference material to
work from, Bob would produce a series of sketches until
he felt satisfied that he had captured the right movement,
strength, and energy he was looking for. He then took the
sketches and worked them into a series of watercolor comps.
Once completed, he was ready for the next step of producing
finished watercolor paintings.
For his finished paintings, Bob would intensify his water-
colors and add strong lines and more detail to each piece.
He also added more movement to each athlete, giving each
painting increased strength and vitality. He would later say:
"Vibrant colors (with) lines of strength and energy.... I tried
to capture the feeling of the competition along with the
image." He also said, "Olympic sports — perhaps unlike any
other athletic endeavor — bring out images of grace, beauty,
and energy."
In all, Bob would complete thirty- two watercolor paint-
ings. Several of these paintings hold significance beyond the
images themselves. The painting that is probably the most
recognizable of all the Olympic works is the one depict-
ing the U.S. Men's Hockey Team's miraculous defeat of the
mighty Soviet Team en route to a Gold Medal at the Lake
Placid Winter Games in 1980. Bob captured this unforget-
table moment using powerful, vibrant colors and a dynamic
image of the young Americans raising their arms in victory.
Another noteworthy Olympic watercolor was done of the
ice dancing couple Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean.
For more than nine years they had been amazing audiences
worldwide with their exquisite performances. In 1984 at
the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, while dancing to the music
of Ravel's Bolero, they would amaze even their most ardent
fans with a performance of a lifetime. The received a perfect
6.0 score from all nine Olympic judges for artistic style, and
another three 6.0's and six 5.9's for technical merit. This
would earn the British national idols the Gold Medal.
62 Illustration
Bob's painting revealed the beauty of the pair skating,
arms stretched out from their sides as they appeared to glide
effortlessly down the ice. The illustration would evoke such a
lasting image that Torville and Dean would later send Bob a
video tape thanking him for painting such a beautiful, mov-
ing image representing their performance. Dad was moved
by the sign of appreciation.
The painting that recognized the less-heralded Olympic
event of fencing showed an image of Ilona Elek Hepp of
Hungary, the most acclaimed female fencer in history.
So great was her reputation in her sport that in 1982 she was
elected an honorary member of the International Fencing
Foundation. She would be the only woman ever selected
for such an honor. Bob's powerful image of the "thrust and
parry" between fencing combatants gave a sense of power
and grace working as one. It appears almost to be a ballet,
only this ballet would inevitably produce but one ultimate
victor. The Society of Illustrators would later award Bob with
a Gold Medal for this Olympic image.
Several additional watercolors would include such
notable Olympians as Russian gymnast Nikolai Andrianov,
U.S. swimmer Debbie Meyer, Romanian gymnast Nadia
Comenici, U.S. speed skater Eric Heiden, and Jesse Owens.
These would be just some of the many athletes recognized
for their supreme efforts and determination by the U.S.
Postal Service and the Olympic Committee.
All thirty- two original Olympic watercolor paintings
would eventually find a permanent home at The Southland
Corporation in Dallas, Texas, where they are on display
throughout the entire building. Upon completion of the
works, Southland, in the spirit of their commitment to help
support the dreams of future Olympians, produced a limited
edition series of prints from the paintings. Each 28" x 23"
print was placed in a protective art folder which included a
biography on the artist and information on the subject of the
painting. With only a limited number available, the prints
were offered by invitation only to a select number of indi-
viduals and companies.
As part of their efforts, Southland funded the construc-
tion of the 7-Eleven Velodrome — used as the site of all U.S.
Olympic Cycling track events. They would continue their
benevolent support of amateur athletes by funding a second
velodrome at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs, Colorado.
THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
In 1988, Bob Peak would revisit the sport of automobile
racing with a commission by the Miller Brewing Company to
create a commemorative painting for the 1988 Indianapolis
500 Race.
Bob first became fascinated with automobile racing back
in 1966 while on location for the MGM Film Grand Prix,
directed by John Frankenheimer, starring James Gardner, Eva
Marie Saint, Yves Montand, and Antonio Sabato. Grand Prix
Illustration 63
The 1988 Indianapolis 500.
became famous for its split screen imagery that added to the
tension and excitement of the film. While on location, Bob
visited some of the great street and road racing circuits of
Europe from Monte Carlo, to Spa in Belgium, then England
and Brands Hatch, then France and, finally, to Italy. He got
to meet and talk with such legendary drivers as Phil Hill and
Graham Hill. His experience working on Grand Prix started
a love for automobile racing and exotic sports cars that
would continue on throughout his life.
For his oil painting, Bob would incorporate several ele-
ments giving an image full of the pageantry and grand
spectacle of this great American sporting event. His painting
would blend the imagery of today's race while at the same
time reflecting back to one of its competitors from the 1916
Indianapolis 500. Using a beautiful sky of cumulus clouds as
a backdrop, we see the competitors as they charge through
turn one of the opening lap, with the Borg Warner Trophy
handsomely displayed in the foreground.
A limited edition series of 250 lithographs signed and
numbered by Bob Peak were offered by the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Bob Peak's original Indianapolis 500 oil
painting was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's
Hall of Fame Museum, where it is on permanent display.
MOVIE WORK OF THE 1980s
Bob also continued to work on a number of movie
campaigns throughout the '80s, including such films
as Pennies from Heaven, Excalibur, Star Trek II, The
Year of Living Dangerously, Star Trek III, Silverado,
Star Trek IV, Star Trek V, and The Comfort of
Strangers. Other films to come his way included Reds,
The Dark Crystal, Something Wicked This Way Comes,
lames Bond: License To Kill, and Impromptu.
In 1981, Bob was commissioned to produce the
Academy Players Directory for the Academy of
Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. For this special
project, Bob would paint a dazzling scene hearken-
ing back to the glamour days of old Hollywood
when such stars as Marlena Dietrich, Clark Gable,
Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Mae West, Errol
Flynn, Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, and Fred Astaire
could be spotted roaming the back lots and sound-
stages of Hollywood's biggest studios, or eating lunch
in one of the nearby restaurants. Bob's painting
would be turned into a poster for the movie-going
public as a reminder of the early days of Hollywood
Babylon.
The imagery produced by Bob Peak for Star Trek I:
The Motion Picture back in 1978 would set the tone
for the next four Star Trek movies. For Star Trek IT.
The Wrath of Khan (1982), Bob would paint images
of Captain Kirk and Spock with a much larger,
imposing image of Ricardo Montalban looming over
them. The unusual rock formations and the black
cloaked figures in the distance gives the illusion that
the crew is on a distant planet as they encounter their
nemesis in a clash of good versus evil. Bob would
produce several variations of this theme in both
black and white and color. The illustration chosen as the
final key artwork would be a tighter version of one of the
color comp illustrations.
The Star Trek film series continued in 1984 with the third
installment titled Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. This
release centered around the Vulcan character played by
Leonard Nemoy, who also directed the film. Just as he had
with the previous two films, Bob Peak would spend many
hours working up black and white idea sketches. Several of
these idea sketches were then chosen to be worked into color
comps. His finished art produced a striking and mysterious
image of Spock's head almost transparent against a backdrop
of endless stars. Rays of light radiate out from him as they
disappear into deep space. Below Spock are smaller images
of Kirk and the other Enterprise crew members. Above, the
Enterprise is locked in battle with a Klingon warship.
In 1967, Bob had painted the extraordinary image for the
film Camelot that won him a Gold Medal from the Society of
Illustrators, the first movie painting ever to be awarded such
a distinction. In 1981, Bob would revisit the magical time of
knights, princesses, and sorcerers with his work on director
John Boorman's film Excalibur. Unlike its predecessors,
64 Illustration
Original art for "Academy Players Directory", 1981. Watercolor.
THG MOTION PICTURE
Original key art for Excalibur, 1981. 32" x 38", gouache and pastel.
Original key art for Excalibur, 1981. 34" x 42", gouache and pastel. This piece was awarded a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators.
Excalibur — based upon the novel Le Morte d' Arthur by
Sir Thomas Mallory — would present a much more realistic
version of the story of King Arthur. Its fight sequences in
particular were much more realistic than any of the earlier
films about King Arthur and his kingdom.
For this film, Orion Pictures envisioned a campaign
consisting of not one, but five finished illustrations used to
capture the audience's interest. Bob went straight to work
exploring the different facets of the picture. He worked
exhaustively to come up with idea sketches built around
the themes in the movie. He then took these sketches and
developed color comps which, ultimately, would become
the five illustrations representing the film. Using gouache
and pastels on museum board, Bob painted a series of five
finished illustrations, painting variations on several of the
pieces. One illustration shows the passion and romance
of Sir Lancelot and Lady Gueniver in a lover's embrace. A
second painting gives the unforgettable image of the sword
Excalibur, rising with all its magnificence from the sea.
Two knights clashing in battle conjures an image of two
factions fighting for control of one kingdom. The looming,
all-powerful image of the grand wizard Merlin would win
Bob a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, and the
final finished key art presents an image of all the preceding
illustrations in a single montage painting.
Original key art for Excalibur, 1981. 32" x 40", gouache and pastel.
7
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Original key art for Excalibur, 1981. 32" x 40", gouache and pastel.
Illustration 71
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One sheet poster for The Comfort of Strangers, 1990.
A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT
On June 26, 1992, some thirty years after Bob had first
arrived on the Hollywood scene with his innovative and
electrifying work on West Side Story, he was honored as
the recipient of the "Key Art Lifetime Achievement Award,"
presented by The Hollywood Reporter for his enormous
contributions to the film industry.
Tony Curtis — legendary star of such movies as Spartacus,
Some Like It Hot, and The Defiant Ones — hosted the
standing-room-only crowd of over 600 invited guests.
Curtis listed some of the great movie posters throughout
the decades, and expounded on the influence "key art" had
played on the film industry over the years. Afterward, he
introduced one of the evenings many presenters, including
some of the movie industry's most prominent executives.
Beau Bridges, film and television star and member of the
talented Bridges family, was given the honor of presenting
the award to my father. Bob was only the second individual
in the 21 -year history of the awards ceremony to be chosen
by the advisory panel for such an honor. Only the late Saul
Bass, who had worked with such great directors as Alfred
Hitchcock, Martin Scorcese, and Otto Preminger was
recognized with such an award for his work in key art.
After his introduction, the audience was treated to a
presentation of Bob Peak's film work starting in 1961
74 Illustration
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Preliminary study for The Comfort of Strangers, 1990.
and ending with The Comfort of Strangers. It was in the
following year, 1991, that Bob would work on his final
movie, Impromptu. Appropriately enough, both The
Comfort of Strangers and Impromptu — the last two films
Bob worked on — were both done for Don Smolen, with
whom Bob had worked on so many memorable campaigns
over the years. The artwork for the film Impromptu,
starring Hugh Grant, Judy Davis, and Mandy Patinkin,
was left unfinished, having gone no further than a series of
black and white study sketches.
As Bob stood at the podium that night to accept the
Lifetime Achievement award, he was overwhelmed with
emotion. He could not help but look back on all the
years of countless projects, long hours, and innumerable
sacrifices he made to help him to realize his dream of
becoming a respected professional illustrator. The evening
proved to be a moving tribute to a man who over the years
earned the title of "Father of the American Movie Poster."
The evening held special significance for myself and my
siblings as all four of us were in the crowd that night, along
with Bob's longtime friend and agent Harvey Kahn and
wife Isabelle. Later, we would all have dinner together, with
much of the weekend being in each other's company. Sadly,
it would also be the last time our father and all four of his
children would be assembled together.
ISSUE #1
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Illustration 75
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EPILOGUE
Just a little over a month after my father received
his Lifetime Achievement award, he passed away on
August 1, 1992 at Scottsdale Memorial North Hospital
in Arizona as the result of a brain hemorrhage suffered
in a fall. His family, friends and those who knew him were
shocked and devastated by the news. His agent, Harvey
Kahn, ran a piece in the obituary section of The New York
Times, talking about the man, the artist, his work and his
life. A photograph of Bob Peak and a reproduciton of his
movie poster Camelot accompanied the article. This was a
thoughtful gesture by Harvey Kahn and greatly appreciated
by myself and my brothers and sister. The Hollywood
Reporter as well as Premiere magazine would also run
stories about my father and his career.
The story of Bob Peak, his work, his life, and his legacy
will live on in the remarkable body of work he leaves behind.
His art has left an indelible impression on popular culture
and the field of illustration. Many fond memories are also
left behind with his children, family, friends, and colleagues.
We were all fortunate to have grown up in this world with
a loving father who taught us, by example, the meaning of
integrity, professionalism and how, with a strong work ethic,
you can succeed in this competitive world. We were able to
see the beauty of life and all of its wonders through his eyes
as an artist. To stop and behold the glory of a sunset or the
way a freshly spun spider web glistens from the moons light
right after an early spring shower. These are the invaluable
lessons my father leaves to us all. •
Preliminary study for Impromptu, 1991.
SPECIAL NOTE: I would like to extend a warm thank you to Harvey Kahn and
Don Smolen for their time and invaluable assistance with information used in this
article. A thank you must also go out to Par amount Pictures and 20th Century
Fox for their assistance. A special thank you to Matt Zimmer, editor of Illustration,
for his endless hours of work in bringing my story to you. My gratitude goes out to
Dan Zimmer, publisher and designer of Illustration, for giving me the opportunity
to write about my father's life and work. It has been a pleasure working with Dan,
a truly professional and dedicated individual. I wish him continued success with
Illustration magazine. To learn more about Bob Peak, please visit bobpeak.com
The text of this entire article is © 2003 by Thomas Peak.
WANTED
ORIGINAL ART WORK BY:
PETER ARNO ALAIN [D, BRUSTLEIN)
VICTOR BOBRITSKY WILLIAM COTTON
ABNER DEAN LEONARD DOVE
JULIAN DeMISKEY T.G. HAUPT
H.O* HQFMAN HELEN HOKINSON
REA IRVIN CHRISTINA MA L MAN
S.W, REYNOLDS GARRETT PRICE
ROSE SILVER JAMES STEVENS ON
WILLIAM GALBRAITH CRAWFORD
Bruce Block P.O. Box 36367 Los Angeles CA 90036
(323) 936-6679 tabgroup@ear1h link.net
Illustration 77
Remembering Bob Peak
by Harvey Kahn
A Speech Given to The Society of Illustrators in January, 1993
First of all, I want to thank Illene Hedy Schultz, the
Board of Directors of the Society and Terry Brown for the
opportunity to talk about my friend Bob Peak.
When Hodges asked if I would speak to you about Bob,
my first reaction was a negative one. How do you say
something about someone who's work is bigger than life?
Having represented Bob Peak for more than 35 years, I have
come to the following conclusions:
When an artists' work is so widely recognized, admired
and imitated, we sometimes lose sight of the originality and
vigor of his statement. Looking at Bob Peak's movie posters
for the Star Trek series, we can understand how shocking and
innovative Bob's work was when he first came on the scene
in the late 50s and early 60s.
Although Bob was involved in many areas, he was of
course best known for his movie work. Our first project
together back in 1961 was "West Side Story". A lifetime of
strong images followed— many were landmarks in Bob's
career, such as "My Fair Lady", "Camelot", "The Missouri
Breaks" and "Rollerball". A highlight was "Apocalypse
Now" which Bob said was the most exciting thing he had
ever worked on.
Bob's artistic vision represented a bridge between the era
of Norman Rockwell and Coby Whitmore, with its emphasis
on technique, to more direct ways of making pictures, greater
use of line and a more startling, bolder palette. Bob was
always more interested in the idea of the work. His thinking
transcending technique; despite the technical ability, for Bob
it was all in the mind. In fact, when people called, curious to
know how he had achieved a certain luminosity in a piece,
his response was a curt one. Bob Peak was not always a
tactful guy, but he was larger than life.
In these hard times, it may be difficult to believe that the
profession of illustrator was once a glamorous pursuit. Bob
was one of the "Glamour Boys"— with his flowing white
hair, sun glasses and Rolls Royce, a story book marriage to
his lovely wife Lucille, exotic on-location assignments, and
every award in the book, including the "Key Art Lifetime
Achievement Award" in 1992 from the Hollywood Reporter.
Nonetheless, Bob always said, "All I wanted to do was to
be an illustrator." Despite his very healthy ego, I feel Bob
most wanted to please, which made him the consummate
commercial artist. Having a reputation like Bob Peak's put
a lot of pressure on him— but it was the pressure that got his
adrenaline going. He had many ideas on a given project and
usually put them down in sketch and comp form. At times,
it seemed that he did too many. That adrenaline would get
going and he would go on and on, and I'd have to ask him to
cease and desist. There are other jobs waiting!
I'll leave you with a story that ironically occurred during
Bob's last job. The Star Trek people, after fooling around
with some other graphic possibilities, came back to Bob
at the last minute for a special project. He'd been working
around the clock when they called me to say they'd be
sending someone down to check up on Bob's progress.
I told them they shouldn't do that, but they didn't listen.
Now, when Bob was deeply into a job, on a tight deadline,
he and I had a signal when I'd phone. He'd know it was
me, but for anyone else, he wasn't at home. The poor guy
from Paramount spent three days in the Arizona desert
without once speaking to Bob— who was, as I had warned,
unavailable. Right down to the end, Bob insisted on his own
creative expression by not quite acquiescing to the client's
intervention.
It was never dull representing Bob! •
78 Illustration
EXHIBITIONS <£EVENTS
The Art of the Elegant Line:
Pen and Ink Drawings from the
Kelly Collection of American Illustration
Now through April 4, 2003
Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia
Famous American images such as Uncle Sam and the Gibson
girl are now on display in Randolph-Macon College's Flippo
Gallery. The Art of the Elegant Line: Pen and Ink Drawings from
the Kelly Collection of American Illustration will be on display
until April 4.
The Flippo Gallery is located in Pace-Armistead Hall on 21 1
North Center Street on the R-MC campus. Gallery hours are
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and weekends
by appointment which can be made by calling (804) 752-3018.
The exhibition features 34 of the Kelly Collection's best
pen and ink images. Most were published as illustrations
in books, magazines and advertisements between 1880 and
1935. Charles Dana Gibson and nineteen other artists are
represented in this collection including Joseph Pennell who
is best known for his liberty loan posters, James Montgomery
Flagg, creator of Uncle Sam, Howard Pyle, the father of
American illustration, John Held who was famous for his
drawings of flappers and jazz babies and N.C. Wyeth, the first
of the great Wyeth family of painters.
The Kelly Collection of American Illustration is a northern
Virginia based collection owned by Richard and Mary Kelly,
philanthropists and private collectors.
Monsters, Mickey and Mozart:
The Drawings of Maurice Sendak
March 15th - May 18th, 2003
The Brandywine River Museum
In collaborative exhibitions, the Brandywine River Museum
and The Rosenbach Museum and Library will jointly celebrate
the 40th anniversary of Maurice Sendak's landmark book
Where the Wild Things Are (1963). The Rosenbach will exhibit
nearly all of the original drawings and watercolors featuring
the book's internationally famous Max and his tamable Wild
Things. The Brandywine River Museum's exhibition will pres-
ent over 50 drawings created for two other highly acclaimed
Sendak books, In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over
There (1981), in addition to other works. Together, these
books form a trilogy devoted to themes that have long been
central to the artist's career. At the Brandywine River Museum,
U.S. Route 1 and PA Route 100, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.
For more information, call: 1-610-388-2700
The Berenstain Bears Celebrate:
The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain
Now through May 26, 2003
The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge
More than four generations of children have eagerly followed
the adventures of the Berenstain Bears, and have learned about
life in the process. Now, for the first time, a major museum
exhibition showcases the work of the series' prolific creators
Stan and Jan Berenstain .
The exhibition explores the couple's evolution as artists
and focus on the development of their popular Berenstain
Bears family. The exhibit will include examples of some
of the Berenstains' earliest children's books and magazine
illustrations, as well as several interactive displays for children.
For more information, call: 1-413-298-4100
Herblock's Gift:
Selections from the Herb Block
Foundation Collection
Now through June 28, 2003
Library of Congress, Swann Gallery, Thomas Jefferson Building
A special exhibition featuring fifteen original drawings
included in a major donation by the late Washington Post
cartoonist Herblock (1909-2001) and the Herb Block
Foundation. Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For more information, call: 1-202-707-9115
Edward Gorey: 1925-2000
Now through June 15, 2003
Edward Gorey House Museum
This exhibition leads visitors through illustrator/ author
Edward Gorey 's life, from his first pair of baby shoes, to his
diaries as an adolescent and finally to his worn out sneakers
and favorite yellow sweater. Original artwork, photographs,
and first editions help illustrate the vast array of works that
Gorey produced during his lifetime and provide a glimpse into
this extraordinary individual.
For more information, call: 1-508-362-3909
Folks, if there are any events happening in your area, do me a
favor and send me an email to let me know about it. If I dont
receive a press release, I cant promote your show or event. To
make a long story short, I NEED YOUR HELP. If you know of
any Exhibitions or Events that we should include here, please
contact me. — DZ O
REYNOLD BROWN REVELL MODEL BOX ART FRANK E. SCH00N0VER
Reynold Brown by Dan Zimmer (a preview of the upcoming book!)
The Box Artists of Revell by Thomas Graham
The Art of Frank E. Schoonover by Louise Schoonover Smith
Sheet Music Cover Art by Kevin Lynch
... and much more!
80 Illustration